And So it Begins......T-41B Restoration

[L-4Pilot]

Started pulling out all of the civilian interior today and found the original Army green upholstery panels beneath the civilian stuff. The panels are the same type as in the O-1 and O-2 aircraft. Removed all of the Army radio equipment in the tail cone and tied off the military wiring. Removed the Javelin 18 gal aux tank.

The airframe is corrosion free but dirty. Ordered the towel bar homing antenna and 54 " FM whip today.

[mazdaP5]

Good luck, it looks like a great project.

[Fouga23]

Will the army interior and radio's go back in?

[PinecastleAAF]

Love it, makes me nostalgic for my student pilot days. Best of luck with the restoration.

[Chappie]

So that is a fuel tank on the floor of what is normally the backseat and cargo area? T-41Bs were two-seaters? The T-41As I've flown at the DAFB Aero Club had backseats.

BTW L-4 pilot- Keep taking pictures...lots of them for the article!

Chappie

[Ken]

The Maxwell Aero Club inherited 4 USAF T-41A's and a bona fide cockpit training device when Hondo ceased operations. Those airplanes were equipped with 2 seats, however, IIRC, factory rear seat rails were present in the floor and one of the airplanes had a rear seat added by the Club but they chose not to add to the other three as those occupants did not have shoulder harnesses available.

A photo of one of our old birds was shown in this WIX thread: viewtopic.php?p=449765

Ken

[L-4Pilot]

Thanks for the comments guys.

Long day at the airport today. The plan is to restore the interior and exterior as close to original as possible. Found more original panels today.

We rigged the aircraft correctly today and then flew it for an hour. It is a slow aircraft for the power, kind of like a Bird Dog with a nose wheel. But... she sure gets of the ground fast.

[L-4Pilot]

So that is a fuel tank on the floor of what is normally the backseat and cargo area? T-41Bs were two-seaters? The T-41As I've flown at the DAFB Aero Club had backseats.

BTW L-4 pilot- Keep taking pictures...lots of them for the article!

Chappie

The aux tank was not Army, it was installed by the DEA while they were using the aircraft for drug interdiction out in Texas, New Mexico and the Caribbean. Some T-41As and Bs came with two seats and some with four.

[Enemy Ace]

In the John Wayne movie "The Green Berets" there are some T-41's in the background, several scenes in the movie IIRC.
Just FYI.

[L-4Pilot]

When the aircraft was delivered to me it was badly out of rig with a heavy right wing. Pictured is Mitchell Hall of Sunset Eagle Aviation located on our airport F95 properly rigging the flaps and ailerons on the T-41B. The aircraft now flys straight and level with no yaw or turning tendency. It only took Mitchell one hour to straighten out the rigging.

The newly rebuilt wings are perfect and well done. She is now a nice, solid, straight flying aircraft.

Mitchell is a IA/A&P and works with his Dad Mike Hall IA/A&P and his younger brother Mack A&P in the family business Sunset Eagle Aviation located on our airport. They are also providing the IA services on the WW I Aeronca O-58A. I am fortunate to have professionals who love these old vintage Warbirds.

[JohnB]

Are you going to paint it?
If so, any thought about putting it back to original scheme?

[Taylor Stevenson]

I believe Steve is going back with it's original T-41B scheme as seen below...
(Photo shamelessly stolen from his facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Cessna-T ... 6356848709)

[Chris Brame]

In the John Wayne movie "The Green Berets" there are some T-41's in the background, several scenes in the movie IIRC.
Just FYI.

Oops... posted it in the wrong thread and can't delete it :

[L-4Pilot]

We will be using this Administrative paint scheme with no orange training panels. It came from the factory with the 54" FM whip and the towel bar homing antenna shown on this O-2. WE already have those and they will be going on the aircraft along with the fixed wire sense antenna.

[Dave Downs]

We will be using this Administrative paint scheme with no orange training panels. It came from the factory with the 54" FM whip and the towel bar homing antenna shown on this O-2. WE already have those and they will be going on the aircraft along with the fixed wire sense antenna.

Learned something new - I never knew the Army flew the O-2

And I am so glad the airplane is getting painted - I hate those 'swoopy/swooshy paint smears on the fuselage that don't attempt to follow or accent the shape of the aircraft (rant off...)